DriveOn Pay(TM) as WiMAX-compatible Menu-Driven Dashtop Mobile Payment Platform

ABSTRACT

DriveOn Pay™ is a location-based Privacy-friendly dashtop mobile payment platform (DMPP), based on mobile WiMAX IEEE 802-16e-2005. It is an all-in-one solution geared to integrate all other dashtop gadgets in view of the growing necessity of the real-time bridge syncing cyberworld and real world, which is central to mobile broadband technology. The VIN-based Menu-Driven Fail-safe 5-mile-range DMPP envisions a BS and a Touchscreen On-Vehicle CPE named VIMO™, powered by the vehicle battery. It works as an Unmanned Booth-free Toll-Collection Maximizer at any vehicle speed; Transportation Hub Security Enforcer for non-linear surveillance of passengers plus non-passengers, both indoors and outdoors; ‘JIT e-Commerce on the Go’ (JITeCGO) Creator; Ticket-free Biometrics-free Remote Check-In &amp; Admission Optimizer for ballparks, expos, parking garages, and transportation hubs. After all, it is to provide an optimal solution to metropolitan traffic surges, wherever they may happen, utilizing the Disposable Ephemeral Digital ID (DEDID) and the vehicle-to-vehicle mobile P2P.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This substitute specification is to partially reformat thenonprovisional application (US 11758004) that was electronically filedon Jun. 5, 2007.

This application is to claim the benefit of Provisional Application(U.S. 60/804,061) that had been electronically filed on Jun. 6, 2006.

This application is to constitute the priority document that is requiredby PCT/IB2006/053654, which was electronically filed with Geneva, RO/IB,on 6 Oct. 2006. The PCT filing was based on Provisional Application U.S.60/804,061.

STATEMENTS

In compliance with 37 CFR 1.125(b), the first statement is to verifythat this nonprovisional application (Application No. 11758004) containsno new matter, except for the reformatting of line spacing (37 CFR1.52(b)), correction of typographical errors, if any, and thearticulating of dubiousness and ambiguity.

The second statement is to claim that the colored drawings and diagrams,as electronically filed, are inevitable, subject to a relevant petitionyet to be filed in compliance with 37 CFR §1.17(h). The necessarylanguage is stated in the first paragraph of BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THESEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTINGCOMPACT DISC APPENDIX

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Exceptio Probat Regulam De Rebus NonExceptis What is the Issue?

The ever-worsening traffic congestion issues around the globe havepervasively wrought havoc on modern urban and rural living, spreadingtheir ripple effects on all walks of life. Motorists spend more and moretime behind the wheels day by day, while stuck in a 10-odd-mile-longrush-hour queue creeping at 5 mph toward a crowded tollgate. Trafficcongestion emerges as the worst type of man-made afflictions bitterlytormenting mankind. Naturally, motorists' mounting anxiety breedseverything from road rages, traffic violations, financial losses andhealth problems to injuries and even fatal accidents. And these are justthe tip of an iceberg.

How Serious

The “war on traffic congestion” will most likely perpetuate or evenescalate in the centuries to come, unless some disruptive technologiescombine to work out a paradigm shift to cure this aggravatingaffliction.

Who is Ultimately Accountable for Curing this Affliction?

Improving road conditions and connections, along with giving real-timetraffic news updates, won't suffice to tackle the congestion issues thathave continuously spawned all the mutating evils: global warming fromgreenhouse gas emissions, energy waste, soaring oil prices, increasedtravel time and expenses, threatened travel safety and comforts,intermingling negative impacts on local economy and industries, and theinternational “quasi-wars” on oil and energy resources.

While this man-made affliction is outgrowing the capabilities of alltypes of governments at all different levels, those administrativebodies are at their with's end and desperately devoid of adequatefunding sources needed to help finance traffic improvement projects toreplace or retrofit the acceleratingly obsolescent infrastructures.

Adding to the lack of funding, the exploding healthcare costs are posinga time bomb ticking for big-name corporations and federal, state andcity governments as well. Such being the case, researchers in therelated science and technology are ultimately accountable for cuttingthis Gordian knot by taking an ergonomic approach rather than relyingdesperately on fiscal policies by the governments involved.

Worse still, cost overruns due to red tapes, inflation, and emergingeconomies, like China and India, are looming large as uncertaintyovershadowing any scheduled infrastructural improvement projects.

Example of Cost Overruns

The on-going construction project for Replacement of Eastern Span of SanFrancisco Bay Bridge due to the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake is currentlyestimated to cost $6.3 billion, when completed by 2012 as scheduled. Itcompares shockingly with the originally estimated $1.1 billion in early2000s. After repeated tugs of war between the Californian state andlocal governments, the state government finally agreed to contribute$630 million to help cover the $3.6 billion cost overrun.

And then where does the remaining money come from? The most optimisticestimate for annual toll collections at SF Bay Bridge won't be over $164million, based on a $4 toll amount that will go up from the current $3,effective January 2007. This estimate is based on the current tollcollection speed averaging 5 to 6 vehicles per minute per lane on 13lanes, and the current toll collection method combining cash collect andRFID technology called FasTrack.

Roughly speaking, it will take over 40 years to collect tolls equivalentto the construction costs, given the current tempo. Admitting it is tobe completed by 2012 on schedule, even the construction costs mayperhaps exceed by far the current estimate of $6.3 billion. Who knows?This type of cost overruns might haunt government planners globally as adaunting task in the decades to come.

Reasons for Traffic Congestions

There could be thousands of reasons for the growing traffic congestion.A traffic surge is a prime mover behind the traffic congestion.Categorically, parameters of traffic surges can be largely grouped intoTraffic Surge Boosters (TSBoo) and Traffic Surge Buffers (TSBuf).

Some parameters may clearly represent either TSBoo or TSBuff, opposed toothers that are overlapped in both categories and susceptible tosurrounding conditions. For example, car parks and local events may keephanging in the balance of TSBoo and TSBuff, depending on the timing andsequencing. On the other hand, desolate road conditions and bad weather,like rains, should work as TSBoo all the time. To help optimize trafficflow by regulating anticipated and unanticipated traffic surges, theabove-mentioned susceptibility should be under control to turn it intoTSBuff to a maximum extent possible.

Prioritizing

To do such a challenging task of minimizing TSBoo, data miningefficiency related to traffic data events without intruding on privacy,coupled with triaging the funds and resources in an optimal sequencing,is imperative. Thus, primal focus should be on car parks and tollgatesto minimize TSBoo by harnessing the valuable data that would otherwisebe left unutilized.

What Worsens the Traffic Congestion?

Some gap-filler technology or methods adopted for now are only spurringthe devastating entropies of traffic safety and conveniences worldwide.The reason is such parameters as TSBoo and TSBuff are intertwined,intermingled, hybridized and mutated so much so that the currentgap-filler technology does no longer stay fit to solve the anomaliesarising out of them but only ends up with the effect that is theopposite of what was intended. In other words, behavioral changes ofboth consumers and motorists are hardly kept up with by any newtechnological breakthrough due to the aftermarket prowess or advantagesof obsolescent or outdated technology.

Ironically enough, convenience of today is rapidly becoming the rootcause for entropies of tomorrow. Some realistic technologicalcompromises and tradeoffs may appear to be good up to a certain level,but may stop working after reaching that certain level. Because afterthat level, a technological breakthrough requiring a paradigm shift is amust-come solution, since further growing ramifications from thosecompromises and tradeoffs may eventually end up in a catch-22 situation.There is a British adage: “You can't jump over a ditch with two leaps.”

Also attributable for worsening the traffic congestion are thefast-growing car density, oil price spikes, obsolescent infrastructures,increasing deficiency of resources, red tapes and technological vacuums.

Why DriveOn Pay™?

The Invention DriveOn Pay™ is basically intended to provide a moreergonomic solution, based on the following needs:

-   -   1) To address the worsening traffic congestion, primarily        focused on car parks and tollgates, in a bid to strive for a        freedom from this man-made affliction.    -   2) To meet the potential demand for non-Internet, hassle-free,        phishing-free, wireless payment system on the go, mostly behind        the wheel, around the clock.        -   In a shift away from the current free-for-all of the            Internet e-commerce, DriveOn Pay™ will create a fourth            dimension to e-commerce, e-marketing, and e-advertising,            adding a spontaneity and JIT feature. Equivalents of DriveOn            Pay™ will certainly make up the next wave of JIT e-Commerce            within the next decade.        -   The recent study released in late April 2006 by Cornell            University shows that 85% of the Internet is allegedly            vulnerable to phishing gangs' attacks, and security holes in            the net are growing larger and ubiquitous day after day, due            mainly to the inherent nature of Internet search.    -   3) To create a new cost-conscious culture of ticket-free,        biometrics-free “Remote Check-In or Admissions” for airports,        ballparks, and other public gatherings. This is aimed at        primarily eliminating long waiting queues in front of theaters,        ballparks, rock concerts, trade shows, and for security checks        at airports, for the purpose of enhancing consumer convenience        and saving administrative costs. And secondarily at reducing the        waste of resources, like materials and labor, the costs of        biometric data updates, and the growing overheads.    -   4) To facilitate counterterrorism screening and alleviate        security threats and security costs by providing easier access        to identifying the security-related problem spots beforehand or        afterwards in a super fast way. The ECHEOLON may globally        monitor all the electronic communications but can hardly track        vehicles used for crimes and terrors unless those vehicles use        any electronic communication devices or whatsoever.        -   DriveOn Pay™ enables vehicle data to be disclosed and            collected at certain locations like tollgates, car parks,            shopping centers, airports, tourist places and expos, with            the consent of motorists, which means heading off any            privacy concerns.        -   In other words, DriveOn Pay™ can pinpoint the more localized            attention to any security problem spots and detect any            security vulnerability. The soaring security costs due to            the 9/11 have lately sent major airliners teetering on the            brink of bankruptcy, while low-cost airliners start            mushrooming. But these kinds of debacle or shakeout            seemingly have some latent risks that will soon come hit            flight passengers harder. It is pointed out that security            costs and related expenses have pushed the overheads            globally by 20%.            Online Payments Booming, But in a Stationary Mode, and What            about a Mobile Mode?

Electronic gadgetry and gizmos have added a new dimension to moderncomforts, particularly in vehicles. However, they have in part created arealm of risks, dangers and discomforts in terms of Driver Distraction,due to the lack of multidisciplinary design optimization resulting fromthe centrifugal tendency of automotive gadgetry. Nevertheless, nobodycan turn back the clock, weaning contemporaries off the luring comfortof digital age and urging them to go back to a pristine stone-agelifestyle. Coordinated research endeavors to explore the integrity ofautomotive gadgetry are more critical at this moment than any tentativelegal bans or restraints or legislative measures intended to curb itsuse based on hindsight considerations.

This invention “DriveOn Pay™” will soon prove it has explored the corevalue of emerging needs of automotive gadgetry in full consideration ofthe growing interdisciplinary “blind spots” and the emergingmultidisciplinary coordination needs. The following is the excerpt fromthe May 29, 2006 article of New York Times:

Quote

According to a recent poll by Harris Interactive, a research firm, thegap between the number of bills paid by check and the number paid onlinehas closed significantly in the past year. More than 37 percent of billsare paid by check; 35 percent are paid online. The remaining 28 percentare paid with cash, debit cards or other payment methods.

Given that trend, Web payments could surpass checks over the next year.(Last year, 46 percent of bills were paid by check, and 25 percentonline.)

Unquote

If this trend were any indication, online payments behind the wheel at afull speed will captivate the heart of all the motorists as well asconsumers, and will soon be a top issue in the auto-mobile design,surpassing the mutually exclusive gadgets like GPS navigators, satelliteradios and MP3 players. Just because the online payment platform behindthe wheel, like DriveOn Pay™ will accommodate and integrate all themutually exclusive features of the above gadgets into an all-in-onedevice.

The ostensible mutual exclusivity lying between them may turn intoanother hidden face of a common thread linking all of them when aninherent threshold is crossed over. In other words, they may appear tobe mutually exclusive initially when they are lacking some commongrounds, but later on they tend to shift to a unity if some compellingcircumstances that might have hoodwinked them are eliminated. Thesuper-speed wireless payment platform behind the wheel is expected toturn the mutual exclusivity into a unity.

Why Tollgates and Car Parks First?

Ultimately, car parks and tollgates are the main arena where eachmotorist struggles and competes fiercely for the best in terms of timeand money at every moment. Harnessing the motorists' behaviors inrelation to car parks and tollgates can only find the optimal cure forthe best part of traffic congestion, if the concept of “triage” is towork here.

Why should Tollgate Passage be a Die-Hard Nightmare?

To reduce road anxiety causing speeding, road rages and fatal accidents,tollgate passage should be smooth and fast without stopping, slowdownsor traffic snarls. Rush-hour queues at tollgates stretch over 5 to 10miles or longer under a scorching sun, with vehicles creeping at 5 mph.Let alone the deteriorating quality of life for motorists as a whole,traffic congestion at tollgates alone will remain to be a top agendaitem for the following:

-   -   1) More gridlocks and tollgate slowdowns are likely to increase        in the next decades. Worldwide car density is growing at an        annual rate of 50 million, based on the year 2000, and will grow        faster in the years to come, foreboding an exponential growth of        the traffic congestion. Motorists are faced with more sacrifices        at tollgates in terms of gasoline and time henceforward.    -   2) Growing waste of energy: In the worst case scenario, an        on-going doomsaying about a possible depletion of crude oil        reserves might come true in 2025-2030. In the best case        scenario, OPEC's market share, currently at 40%, is going up to        60% around that time. Being the biggest consumer, the United        States will face a heavier dependency on imported oil, maybe up        to 80% by that time. U.S. consumers are currently paying half as        much as the gasoline prices their European and Asian        counterparts are, and have more to suffer from any oil price        spikes in the future, against the backdrop of the skyrocketing        U.S. trade deficits.    -   3) Environmental problems, like global warming, will be a        life-and-death issue in another decade, unless green house gas        emissions from vehicles are under control. It is a hard fact        that running vehicles account for 63% of the CO2 gas emissions        over the world, and that the tollgates are responsible for most        of the emissions. And the United States has yet to ratify the        Kyoto Protocol and will eventually have a legislative mandate to        regulate carbon emissions and turn ‘carbon credit’ into        production costs. The Energy Department estimates that carbon        emission in the United States would rise to eight billion tons        by 2030, 38 percent above the current level.        -   It goes without saying that global warming is one of the            reasons behind the catastrophic natural disasters like            tsunamis, earthquakes, mudslides, hurricanes, pandemic            concern that became more and more rampant and widespread            since 2000.

Why Stop the Current Toll Collection Method?

At most tollgates, cash collect plus RFID technology is currently usedas means of collecting tolls. Long story short, these two methods arenot supposed to mix at all.

-   -   1) The current mix of cash collect and RFID technology is        self-contradictory and can cause a set of never-ending weakest        links and the dilemma. Under the current system, motorists are        required to choose from cash lanes, RFID lanes and carpool        lanes, thereby causing abrupt lane-changing needs ending up        escalating traffic snarls, slowdowns and stops. If both        tollbooths and the need for lane configurations were eliminated,        then there would be no traffic snarls, no slowdown and no stops        at tollgates. Overtweaking the current system would lead to more        User-unfriendly solutions, ending up an escalation of the scope        of entropy.    -   2) It is absolutely impossible to have 100% of local motorists        sign up for Prepaid accounts in support of RFID technology. Even        if it were legislatively mandated, then it would be impossible        to enforce all the Prepaid accounts to stay in good shape and        free of any NSF situations. Besides, there are non-local        motorists, including border-crossing aliens and tourists    -   3) Tollbooths are a major drag for traffic, and they must be        eliminated. Meantime, the booth-free toll-collecting system on        toll roads appears to be unmanned on the surface, but it needs a        lot of back-office manpower for billing. Even worse, it comes        with a fail ratio of 15% plus a considerable misreading ratio.        The unmanned toll collection system on toll roads is not very        efficient, conditional only to a low traffic volume, and will        not justify when the traffic volume grows over a certain level,        like a metropolitan volume.        -   The toll roads are currently using ANPR (automatic number            plate recognition) cameras and RFID transponder chips and            readers. Nevertheless, toll roads are expected to come to 30            in number sooner or later in the United States.    -   4) In some states like Florida and California, vehicles with        RFID transponders are randomly monitored unbeknownst to the        motorists, raising privacy issues. Traffic data are critical to        forecasting and optimizing the traffic flows, and real-time        traffic data events should be watched, monitored and fed into        databases without causing any privacy concerns. The current        system is outdated for this type of data mining scenarios.    -   5) To help even out lopsided traffic loads on certain roads,        voluntary acts by motorists of bypassing certain routes during        specific hours of the day, days of the week or the seasons,        should be encouraged by implementing a differential toll system.        The current system of toll collection does not fit for this type        of traffic optimization schemes.    -   6) To help cover runaway cost overruns, such extra funding        sources as promotional toll sales and special-purpose        fundraising that can be done on the road, are a newly sought-for        strategy. But the current system is hopelessly lacking any means        of introducing such extra funding schemes.

Why User-centric Payment Options?

Motorists are entitled to freedom of choice, when paying tolls orwhatsoever. The current system mandates a limited choice of thefollowing:

1) cash2) automatic debit from a Prepaid account linked to RFID transponders.

Even toll roads come with a narrow choice of the following:

1) automatic debit from a Prepaid account linked to RFID transponderchips.2) a bill in the mail.

Each motorist's divergent financial situation requires a wider selectionof choice. The divergent nature of each motorist's financial situationcan only cause a yawning gap between a forced selection of a limitedchoice and their divergent payment means.

Generally, giving a wider selection of choice will give more chances oflooking into consumer behaviors and the shifting tendency thereof,thereby enabling more efficiency and consumer-friendly solutions to begained in more constructive ways in the future by catching up with thetrend changes in time.

The basic approach is to seek non sequitur in getting a solution to thehybridizing and mutating aspects of behavioral shifts in humancommunications via wireless technology, focusing on User-centricoptions, insomuch as payment transactions are ultimately a form offormal human communications. In support of this view, the following newsexcerpt (May 2006) needs to be appreciated.

Quote

There are two principal reasons that TV stations are seeking to broadentheir horizons. One is “consumers will increasingly choose what theywant to see, when they want to see it, on whatever device they want tosee it,” said Alan Frank, president and chief executive at thePost-Newsweek Stations division of the Washington Post Company.

Unquote

Why VIMO Rather than Mobile Phones?

DriveOn Pay™ should be a fail-safe operation around the clock, notallowing any single failure. Mobile phones are handy, but are notsuitable for fail-safe DriveOn Pay™ operations.

-   -   1) Mobile phones are elusive from time to time, when User is in        a desperate need. That's because even occasionally, they might        happen to be left behind somewhere else. Besides, the chances        are that coincidentally the phone battery is dead, when you need        the phone desperately.    -   2) Mobile phones are primarily for voice communications, and may        put Users on a collision course more often than not, when used        as all-in-one devices for mobile TV, streaming video, nomadic        Internet connections, digital cameras and live traffic newscast.    -   3) Mobile phones are insecure from hackers and malware threats,        and are used for more informal occasions. Especially,        motorcyclists wouldn't welcome mobile phones as a wireless        toll-paying device that can be used while running at a full        speed.

Nonetheless, mobile phones may be useful as a supporting device for somesituations like one-time emergency use to cope with thefts or failuresof VIMO, and like when used as a carrying device of Ticket ID for RemoteCheck-In.

Socioeconomic Benefits

The monetary value of the socioeconomic benefits to be reaped fromDriveOn Pay™, when properly implemented in real life, will be enormouson both the national and global perspective. Calculating the monetaryvalue is beyond the writer's capability, and it is not appropriate toestimate the socioeconomic benefits for either one time or some specificperiod and for a nation or a region. Therefore, the major potentialglobal benefits can be evaluated as listed as below:

-   -   1) Resource saving effects, including petroleum and trees    -   2) Labor saving    -   3) Environmental protection, which will remain a top global        issue in the next decades.    -   4) Travel safety, including transport security, and comforts in        felicific calculus    -   5) Phishing-free JIT e-commerce on the go—JITeCGO    -   6) Synergistic effect on local industry and economy through        optimal reallocation of resources    -   7) Improved quality of life and new cost-conscious and        bandwidth-intensive culture

Meantime, the two world wars lasted 4 years and 6 years, respectively,causing incalculably huge damages in various fields. And even theMarshall Plan aimed at Europe's recovery from the WWII casualties anddamages cost $13 billion during the 4-year plan period, equivalent to$130 billion in current terms. The daily damages resulting from trafficcongestion globally will not cease in a time span of 4 to 6 years but goon to encroach into everybody's life persistently and, more and morevirulently. And can you assess the global damages of this ever-growingaffliction, and can you estimate the monetary value of the socioeconomicbenefits that would possibly be created by DriveOn Pay™, when properlyimplemented and strategically deployed?

Conceptualization

The invention was conceptualized in 1992, when the writer was commutingto work for a trading company in San Francisco, crossing the SF BayBridge Toll Plaza 5 days a week. The full-time work on the inventionbegan in November 2004 after the writer got shocked awake to the2002-2003 shakeout of local restaurant industry that was caused by thedot.com bubble, the aftershock of the 9/11, and the California energycrisis of 2002, ending up in closures of about 300 restaurants in the SFBay Area.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Technology Involved

DriveOn Pay™, based on mobile WiMAX or IEEE 802.16e-2005, is intended toseek for the optimal way of fail-safe User-friendly payment-specificdigital data communications between a BS (base station) and a multitudeof mobile CPE (Consumer Premise Equipment) named VIMO™. Simply put,VIMO™ utilizes a set of programmed short keys on LCD touchscreen and twoblinking off-screen buttons to receive, process, store and send datapackets.

VIMO™ measures up 7″(W)×4″(L)×½″ (T) in a rectangular shape, and isfixed into the center of vehicle dashboard. VIMO is to maximize wirelesspayment transactions, not via the Internet, but in a random access andmass-producing way. DriveOn Pay™ operates within a 5-mile radius of a BSwith thousands of VIMO units moving at a vehicle speed of 80 mph or overor lower. And it is featured with unmanned operations both on the roadsand in the offices, except for a minimum number of back-office staff.

Technological Significance of the Invention

WiMAX is a ‘disruptive’ technology that can bring a sea change to globaltelecom industry as a whole and may eventually bring forth a ‘creativedestruction’ of circuit-switching technology. Nevertheless, WiMAXappears to be a supportive technology of the Internet for now. And manystill believe it is a major tool for WISP (Wireless Internet ServiceProviders), while some insiders even think it is being overhyped.However, another aspect of WiMAX other than IP-based applications seemsto be underestimated. There is a fine line between IEEE 802.16e-2005WiMAX and IEEE 802.20 MBWA, but this fine line is imperceptible in thepublic eye.

Not surprisingly, WiMAX has a concealed huge bottom of an iceberg whosetiny tip can only be seen for now. Apparently, this undisclosed part ofWiMAX is not any hidden agenda at all. Once consumer-oriented impetus isgiven, WiMAX can set up a new milestone in exploiting consumer-orientedbroadband communications. In other words, this invention has shed somelight on the overlooked side of WiMAX that can potentially contribute toimplementation and deployment scenarios of consumer-friendly high datarate WBA applications without relying on the Internet connection that isvulnerable to surreptitious cyberattacks and is currently thecontroversy of the Net neutrality.

As a disruptive solution to address the worsening traffic issues,DriveOn Pay™ has made a debut on the lab bench as a new daily necessityitem that can drastically change motorists' payment patterns and otherbehaviors considerably. It can generate virtual tickets and authenticatethem, paving the way for biometrics-free, ticket-free admissions to ballparks, airports, conventions, and enabling ‘JIT e-Commerce On the Go’ togo into full swing. However, it should be noted that all of these canhardly be expected to be done on IP-based applications, e.g. eventhrough nomadic Internet access or mobile Internet.

DriveOn Pay™ has a potential clout in leading the next generation ofconvergent consumer mobile devices, and is undoubtedly going to open anew chapter in ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems). In other words,DriveOn Pay™ has broken down a set of multidisciplinary barriers lyingbetween consumers and WiMAX technology, thereby enabling WiMAX to breeda new species of User-centric ‘stationary mobile’ CPE's (*)significantly different than such ‘portable mobile’ CPE's as mobilephones, PDA, smart phones, Blackberry, and laptops. If implemented,DriveOn Pay™ will find somewhat out-of-the-blue emotional connectionsgrow rapidly between consumers and WiMAX technology particularly in viewof its ‘always on’ battery life, which turned out to be consumers' firstand foremost concern about any mobile devices, according to a 16-nationconsumer survey conducted in 2004. * CPE—short for Consumer PremiseEquipment.

Multifunctional But Minimum Driver Distraction

Ultimately, VIMO™ is to accommodate multifunctional features to seek theintegrity of automotive gadgetry so as to head off an excessive degreeof Driver Distraction that may be the result of having too manyin-vehicle gadgets and gizmos overcrowding the dashboard. GPSnavigators, CD players, satellite radios, mobile TV, live traffic datafeeds (audio, text, graphic and video), video games, even IM (InstantMessaging), MP3 players, other ‘quad play’ gadgets and call logs, mayeventually be incorporated into a dashboard-mounted centerpiece in thenear future in order to minimize the degree of Driver Distraction. Whenproperly implemented, VIMO™ will be a prime candidate to become thiscenterpiece. All these dashboard-mounted gadgets and gizmos are alsocalled Dashtop Mobile Equipment.

Behind the Wheel at Full Speed, and Around the Clock

DriveOn Pay™ is designed to wirelessly pay not only tolls but alsoparking fees and do shopping on the go. The wireless paying process canbe made behind the wheels while you are driving at a full speed of 80mph, or are in a car park, or cruising down a shopping arcade in searchof a parking lot. You can do it around the clock regardless of a cashierbeing handy or being attentive or watchful. You are free from suchhassles like showing your ID as well, like when presenting a credit cardto a cashier at a storefront.

This is a whole lot different than such wireless paying devices onmobile phones as Pay by Touch, Touch and Pay, and TouchPay or whateverthey are named. Wireless paying by mobile phones is based on an infraredbeam technology, is not menu-driven, and is effective within an arm'sreach. On the other hand, DriveOn Pay™ can pay within a 5-mile rangewirelessly at practically any vehicle speeds, with the User-centricfeatures like menu-driven payment options.

MG and MP

The domains of DriveOn Pay™ operations are largely divided into MG(MetroGate) and MP (MetroPlaza) sessions. Again, MG sessions are brokendown into OnGate and OffGate sessions, while MP sessions include allother sessions that may take place on the VIMO screen, except for MGsessions.

What are the Possible Applications?

Eventually, its implementation will be widespread and scalable in thewide-ranging areas where motorists and vehicles both are involved in theeconomy of unmanned and super fast operations.

Major implementation schemes include the following:

-   -   1) Tollgates <paying tolls, buying prepaid tolls, paying traffic        fines, on-the-road fundraising, etc.>    -   2) Airports <paying parking fees, one-way or two-way valet        parking service, ticket-free boarding, privacy-friendly security        enforcer>    -   3) Shopping centers <behind-the-wheel shopping, ordering        carryout orders, booking for restaurants, grocery shopping,        collecting parking fees and validating free parking>    -   4) Subway stations <paying parking fee, and unmanned citation        for parking violations>    -   5) Curbside Parking <paying parking fee, and unmanned citation        for parking violations>    -   6) Commercial parking garages <paying parking fees, and        arranging for Event Parking>    -   7) Huge-scale public gatherings, including expos, trade shows,        conventions <Arranging for Event Parking for a huge event crowd        featuring prior arrangement of valet parking services for VIPs        and event crews>    -   8) Ball parks <Ticket-free admission, valet service, and spot        purchase of virtual tickets, and paying parking fees>

Besides, this DriveOn Pay™ can also be implemented and deployed innational parks, tourist places, theme parks, historic places, seasonalresorts, “members-only” beaches and hunting ranches, RV parks andcamping villages, and others involving motorists.

More important, DriveOn Pay™ can collect hour-specific vehicle data in aprivacy-friendly way and thus has a prowess of providing target-basedreal-time traffic data feeds to motorists. It will make it possible toenforce location-based security investigations at transportation hubslike airports more efficiently, without causing any inconvenience andwithout raising privacy issues.

New Domain of Potential “E-Commerce on the Go”—JITeCGO

It will also make it possible to do more efficient data miningachievements toward improving traffic safety and comforts. And aboveall, it will create a new JIT e-commerce domain on the go. The JITeCGOis fundamentally different than the e-commerce based on both stationaryor nomadic Internet access in various ways, particularly in security,spontaneity and JIT access to merchandise or service.

One example: You can order carryout items on VIMO for JIT (Just-In-Time)pickup, while driving around in a shopping center. Likewise, you can buyvirtual tickets for a ball game on the spot, while driving in your carwithin 5 miles of the ball park on the day of the game, and can doRemote Check-In for admission by working on a VIMO. Even some shoppingcenters will be able to propagate luring commercials to passing-byvehicles.

Of course, you can do Remote Check-In, based on your season ticket forball games, of which information is stored in your VIMO. Being eligiblefor valet parking service, you will pull up to the entrance, and get outof your car, and walk toward the entrance kiosk-type keypad to enteryour ticket ID and your 8-digit Date of Birth to authenticate it. Valetservice will take care of the rest.

What is VIMO?

VIMO comes with two mechanical buttons at bottom, outside the LCDtouchscreen, and these buttons are exclusively for use at tollgates.These two buttons, START and SHOOT, blink in red and green,respectively, when activated and ready to transmit data to BS, and needto be hit by User so as to transmit the data. Other programmed shortkeys come and go on the LCD screen in accordance with the proprietarymenu that varies from BS to BS, and the two-way communications between aBS and VIMO™ are made utilizing these short keys, instead of using anymouse or keyboard or stylus.

The START button is programmed offline with VIN PLUS (vehicle data,including vehicle ID, class, make, model, year, color, size, licensenumber, the 17-digit VIMO ID, ownership & address, etc.). On the otherhand, the SHOOT button is progressively programmed online with suchdynamic data as transaction details. These two color-coded buttons areas a sort of fool-proof gimmick to deal with a moment of the highesttension and time pressure, like when passing a tollgate at a full speed.

Distraction-Free Three-Touch Operation

Basically, the toll-paying process on a VIMO is a three-touch operation,provided that no trial-and-error delays are made. At a tollgate, you hitthe START, and hit a payment option, and then the SHOOT. However, it canbe customizable to a two-touch operation by skipping a payment optionmenu page. By having two pre-selected payment options work in acustomized mode, you can skip the process of selecting a payment optionand get rid of the reason for trial-and-error delays. The customizedtwo-touch operation is recommended for elderly drivers andmotorcyclists.

Each BS is to offer a proprietary service menu, including paymentoptions, whereas on VIMO, a set of programmed short keys are to load upon the screen. Hitting the buttons and keys on the touchscreen enableshassle-free VPN sessions between a BS and a VIMO unit. On other hand, aBS is to deal with thousands of VIMO units simultaneously, point tomultipoint and NLOS (Non-line of sight).

“Always On” Battery and No Obtrusive Commercials

VIMO™ is powered by a 12-V car battery and is always on, when the engineis on. As a vehicle passes by one BS to another, the Welcome screenmight differ from one another. In the next decade, every city will betopologically linked together with other cities by grids of BaseStations assigned with different spectrums of frequencies. While drivingon the road, each motorist is at his or her discretion to decide to openany Welcome screen to see infomercials or do some shopping orwhatsoever. In a downtown area, a whole block will be within theeffective range of one or two BS, offering an integrated BlockDirectory, a portal guide that lists up all the stores, car parks,banks, fast food chains, restaurants, gas stations and so on. Even more,commercials targeting passing-by vehicles can only be selected at thesole discretion of motorists.

Proprietary But User-Centric Menu from Bs

VIMO™ is a User-centric, menu-driven device. Menu requirements mightdiffer from BS to BS, depending on the nature of BS. For MG OnGatesessions, service itself is a single item: a fixed amount of toll, whilepayment options may include Credit, Debit, Prepaid, 3 DAYS, Carpool.

On the other hand, MG OffGate sessions will require service options,like discount tolls, prepaid tolls, traffic fines, vehicle registrationrenewals, driver's license renewals, 3 DAYS toll due, and raffletickets, whereas payment options are limited to Credit, Debit, andPrepaid.

Basically, service options and payment options will be determined inaccordance with the nature of BS. Meantime, credit cards and debit cardsthat can be used on VIMO are up to User's choice, not up to banks orcredit card companies. On DriveOn Pay™, Users may feel free to enter orchange credit/debit card information offline anytime.

3 DAYS: Safeguard Against Human Fallibility

The 3 DAYS, as a payment option for DriveOn Pay™, is a crucial safeguardagainst human errors. The 3 DAYS is an online pledge to pay a tollwithin 3 calendar days at a 50% surcharge, and is secured by the vehicleregistration. Failure to pay within 3 days will result in a heavierpenalty, and if enacted, repeated failures might result in cancellationof vehicle registration.

In the event that even a credit card or debit card cannot pay due toeither User's neglect, or a bank system failure, or service interruptionby banks or payment service providers, or other third-party reasons, amotorist may feel safe to pay a toll, without having to carry cash onhand. This safeguard is a vital function to ensure the financialintegrity of the toll collection operations under any circumstances.This payment option can be accepted at MP deployments, like airports,shopping centers, if a roaming arrangement is made on the condition thatlocal toll authority has the sole responsibility of collecting 3DAYS-based payments in exchange for getting a monopoly of the 50%surcharge. The 3 DAYS option will hopefully be used at airports, subwaystations, and other car parks to pay parking fees, but not for shopping.

‘PREPAID TOLL’ Account as DriveOn Pay™ Payment Option

Unlike the prepaid account linked to RFID technology (FasTrack orEZPass), a Prepaid Toll account for DriveOn Pay™ requires no set minimumto be automatically debited from a motorist's bank account or creditcard. Instead, Prepaid Toll accounts allow Users to buy any amount ofprepaid tolls in units or in lump sum on the spot. In addition, User canbuy prepaid tolls at a decent discount.

More important, this Prepaid account is an integral part of adifferential toll collection system that is intended to regulateanticipated traffic surges for traffic flow optimization purposes. Underthe differential toll system, if an extra toll of $5.00 is collected inaddition to a regular toll of $4.00 during anticipated traffic surgesand is later refunded to eligible commuters biweekly, then non-commuterswill tend to voluntarily avoid those traffic surge hours on that route.

To enable this differential toll system to work, a 100% refund of theextra toll collected from commuters will be credited to their Prepaidaccount as credit vouchers, instead of costlier and complicated ways ofcrediting their bank accounts or mailing checks to them. Generatingthese credit vouchers will not only save the overheads and labor, butalso will solidify local toll authority's fund pool as well. Inaddition, if the Prepaid account is utilized for “roaming” from one BSto another, it will create a huge potential of becoming cyber cash ore-cash all across the spectrum of JIT e-commerce on the Go.

Ticket-Free Admissions and Biometrics-Free

DriveOn Pay™ envisions ticket-free admissions to ballparks, concerts,theaters, car parks, expos and trade shows. Ticket-free boarding atairports, while skipping time-consuming, tedious security checks, isalso possible. Currently, the Frequent Flyer program calls for priorregistration of biometrics data of the flight passengers so they can bewaived from security checks, but this type of biometric authenticationsystem has a lot of drawbacks, including regular costly updates,injury-caused reading failures, misreading and illegal copying. DriveOnPay™ will provide a more solid and cost-saving authentication systemfree of biometrics data.

Labor Cost Saving

DriveOn Pay™ will greatly contribute toward saving labor costs in everysector of economy in a more constructive manner. Tollbooth attendants,tollgate back-office manpower, parking enforcement attendants, car parkattendants, security guards at transportation hubs, event crews will bewholly displaced or significantly reduced.

How it Works

Take a tollgate, for instance. When a motorist approaches GMAN (atollgate BS) within 5 miles, VIMO™ loads up the Welcome screen, based onwelcome data received from GMAN. When the Welcome screen comes on, avoice welcome is also delivered to alert the driver at the wheel. Atthis moment, the START, at bottom left of VIMO, begins to blink in red,indicating VIMO is ready to transmit the vehicle data to GMAN.

When the motorist hits the blinking START, the partially encryptedvehicle data, including license plate number, class, make, model, year,color, size, VIMO ID, ownership and address, etc. is sent to GMAN, whichwill verify the received data, looking up for the vehicle dataregistered in database. If verified, then GMAN will generate a CN(control number) and SID (Session ID), and transmit them to each VIMOpoint to multipoint NLOS. Meantime, SID will be embedded with a newencryption key to replace the old one. It is noteworthy that not theentire vehicle data are encrypted, but only the critical ones, likepayment information and personal profiles.

As GMAN operates point to multipoint, it can simultaneously communicatewith thousands of VIMO units randomly, (not in a serial processing wayover multiple lines). To save bandwidth, each MG OnGate session is to becompleted within 300 seconds (5 minutes), during which a vehicle runningat a speed of 80 mph can cover over 6 miles on the route. Barring anyaccidents, any motorist can complete a toll-paying transaction withinthat time frame. In case of any accidents, an extension of 100 secondscan be repeated until the vehicle passes MGX, where digital videocameras shoot the vehicles in order to identify for carpool violatorsand vehicles without VIMO mounted.

When receiving CN, SID and menu data, VIMO shows CN and menu on thescreen, while SID is hidden. For MG OnGate sessions, the payment optionmenu pops up immediately, and the payment options come in oval-shapedkeys with letters like Credit, Debit, Prepaid, 3 DAYS and Carpool. Ifone option is picked and hit, then it will be sent to GMAN in no timeand payment is authorized. If the picked option does not getauthorization, then the menu screen pops up again and again until a newpayment option gets authorization. However, 3 DAYS might be the bestoption to choose, especially when credit and debit cards fail to getauthorization.

When payment is authorized, GMAN generates an AP (Approval Number) andsends it to VIMO. On the VIMO screen, a “Thank you for payment” messageshows up with AP being displayed in the center.

Upon receipt of the “Thank You” message on the screen, VIMO merges CNand AP and other transaction details into an electronic document calledVD (Vehicle Dossier). When VD is ready for transmission, then the SHOOT,a green button at bottom right of VIMO, begins to blink in green. If itis hit while blinking, the SHOOT will send VD to GMAN to get GID (GateID). If User fails to hit the blinking SHOOT within 15 seconds, thenGMAN will take an initiative to generate TVD (Temporary VD), in a bid tosave bandwidth. TVD will require an additional tracking charge in orderto encourage Users to hit SHOOT in time later on.

Vehicles without VIMO, vehicles with defunct VIMO, and slow motoristswho have not completed a paying process before passing MGX will beclassified as NVD requiring special handling. MGX will sound beep to NVDvehicles and will take an extra close-up snapshot at the Driver. It isoptional that an alert will be sent to a nearby patrol car, and at thesame time, the AutoCite function of DriveOn Pay™ will issue a citationfor NVD vehicles.

Meantime, slow motorists who have failed to complete a paying process intime will be later reclassified as QVD (Quasi VD), if CN and SID arefound later through tracking, and be given a waiver of a heavy penaltyimposed by AutoCite. QVD vehicles will be required to pay an extratracking charge, though, and will be spared a chance for forcedselection of 3 DAYS at a 50% surcharge.

MGX, a crossbar structure equipped with video cameras, is to shootinfrared beams at oncoming vehicles on each lane constantly from the topof the crossbar, at least at an altitude of 4.5 meters or higher and ata 45° angle. This constant infrared beam helps collect GID or TVD andtake a number of video snapshots, in order to embed GID or TVD into theVideo Capture. The 45° angle gives the distance equivalent to the heightof the crossbar for collecting GID or TVD and taking snapshots in time.And vehicles running at an average speed of 80 mph are found to normallykeep a bumper-to-bumper distance of roughly 6 meters.

It is not always necessary to transmit all the video data feeds to GMANand database. Instead, video capture data of each vehicle will stay inthe buffer memory of MGX until these video data will later be sorted outby GMAN so as to be either deleted or sent to dBase for archiving.Meantime, MGX will generate VCN (Video Capture Number) to help GMANfinalize each transaction first hand without having to bother to sendall the heavy video files to GMAN.

Collecting Tolls from 4,400 Vehicles Simultaneously

VCN is generated in two different ways: time-based VCN and SID-basedVCN. NVD vehicles are given time-based VCN. VD without VCN attached willbe nullified. Under the current toll collection system, payments areprocessed and finalized at the same time when passing a tollbooth.

On the other hand, DriveOn Pay™ enables thousands of vehicles to getpayment authorizations simultaneously but at random, but requires eachauthorized transaction to be finalized serially while passing MGXequipped with video cameras. Theoretically, about 4400 vehicles within a5-mile radius of a 6-lane GMAN tollgate can pay tolls simultaneously,given an average speed of 80 mph, and based on other hypotheticalassumptions. Though DriveOn Pay™ is scalable to more than 6 lanes, adeployment scenario for over 6 lanes is not economically feasible. FYI,some tollgates have more than 13 lanes now, but the number will bereduced to 6, if a GMAN tollgate is implemented. Currently, vehiclesapproaching the 13-booth tollgates are to diverge to e.g. 13 lanes andthen have to converge to 4 to 6 lanes right after passing. The viciouscycle of ‘diverge and converge’ can cause a lot of traffic snarls,slowdowns, stop and even accidents.

Theoretically, DriveOn Pay™ can collect tolls from 1,684,600 vehiclesper day on a 6-lane GMAN tollgate. It compares with the current tollcollection system, under which a maximum of 112,320 vehicles can paytolls per day on a 13-lane tollgate, like SF Bay Toll Plaza.Theoretically, DriveOn Pay™ can improve the current speed of tollcollection by a factor of 32.5.

Without VCN, Paid Transactions Nullified Automatically

In the meantime, the chances are that some vehicles already done withthe toll-paying process on VIMO may happen to exit through a nearbyoff-ramp before passing MGX, due to personal emergency or other reasons.These vehicles have not caused to generate any VCN, and therefore theirpayments already authorized will be nullified without having to do someredundancy of giving a refund.

The video data for the following vehicles will be sent to and stored indatabase:

-   -   1) NVD vehicles    -   2) Vehicles that claimed carpool eligibility    -   3) Private vehicles whose measured lengths, including loads and        trailers, happen to exceed the registered vehicle lengths, even        after deducting some allowable buffer length, like one meter or        less.

To effectuate the (D/O) differential toll system for oversized privatevehicles, a vehicle length scanner utilizing a lane-wide light curtainof infrared beam is installed for each lane at MGX. Time-specific androute-specific enforcements of this D/O system are recommended. Forinstance, D/O can be enforced on specific routes Monday through Fridayduring rush hours, like 07:00-10:00 a.m. and 03:00-07:00 p.m., aimed atencouraging voluntary restraints on driving oversized private vehicleson those specific routes during specific days and hours.

Naturally, at the end of each session with each VIMO, the finalized VDwill be sent to dBase and archived there for further data miningpurposes. Meantime, VIMO will display “Goodbye” on the screen, rightafter passing by MGX. Alternatively, a motorist who has taken an optionof “rollover to OffGate session” to pay a 3 DAYS toll due today will beon OffGate screen right after passing by MGX, while VIMO still delivers“Goodbye” in voice.

GMAN's session-independent routines include settling credit/debit cardtransactions by hourly batch closing. Such other routines includetallying up of traffic counts and real-time traffic data broadcastingplus target-specific multicasting of traffic data feeds.

More Chances for Special Fundraising on the Road

To expand the operational space for MG OffGate sessions within a 5-mileradius of GMAN, the 5-mile stretch after MGX and the 10-mile stretch inthe opposite direction of travel are allocated for OffGate sessions.OffGate sessions will likely help motorists' last-minute efforts to payvehicle-related bills, in addition to giving them a timely on-the-roadreminder as well as a good chance of buying discount tolls and prepaidtolls. To help find extra funding sources, OffGate session may befurther utilized to encourage motorists to buy some raffle tickets onVIMO™ for special on-the-road fundraising events.

This invention, DriveOn Pay™, has been briefly explained herein in termsof tollgate operations alone, but that is only the tip of the iceberg,in view of its wide-ranging application potential. DriveOn Pay™ willgreatly enhance the modern “wheeled” lifestyle to an unforeseen level,once major implementation schemes come into play.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed incolor. Copies of this patent or patent application publication withcolor drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and paymentof the necessary fee.

A total of eight drawings or diagrams are provided herein for review inthe following order:

-   -   Flowchart for MG OnGate mode of operations    -   Flowchart for MP Airport Parking mode, return of rental cars    -   Payment Option Menu Screen FIG. 10.2    -   Remote Check-In for Departure or Both Departure & Arrival FIG.        63.4    -   Top Events of the day <MP DAS> FIG. 30.3    -   Default Screen FIG. 1000.1    -   WELCOME Screen FIG. 10.1    -   Gate Keypad [KIOSK or PEDESTAL type] FIG. 63.1000

DriveOn Pay™ application Ser. No. 11/758,004

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Table of Contents

-   -   1. Glossary    -   2. Pseudocodes        -   1) MG OnGate        -   2) MG OffGate        -   3) MP DAS        -   4) MP Ball Parks        -   5) MP Public Parking        -   6) MP Curb Parking        -   7) MP Airport        -   8) MP Subway        -   9) MP Expos        -   10) MG VLS        -   11) TriageCasting    -   3. Message format        -   a. Biweekly e-mail Statement        -   b. Flight Information for MP Airport        -   c. Message Format for MG OnGate

1. Glossary

For Esoteric Pursuits by Software Engineers

MGX

MetroGate Exit adjoining GMAN. Equipped with wireless digital videocameras and infrared Vehicle Length Scanners (VLS). It generates VCN tosend it to GMAN

GMAN

The MAN-enabled base station. MAN is short for Metropolitan Area Network

VIMO™

CPE at subscriber station (Vehicular Interface Module). Air interfacefeatured with touchscreen-enabled displays, preferably LCD or otheradvanced technology

dBase or dB

Database for vehicle registration

PSP

Wireless Payment Service Provider for credit/debit transactions.

START <Button>

The red button at bottom left of VIMO border frame, not on touchscreen.It is pre-programmed offline with VIN PLUS (Vehicle ID & class, make,year, model, color, size, license plate number, VIMO ID). Its use islimited to MetroGate sessions

SHOOT <Button>

The green button at bottom right of VIMO border frame, not ontouchscreen. This button is to be programmed gradually by stages withthe dynamic data events of an OnGate session so as to eventuallygenerate VD. Its use is limited to MetroGate sessions.

VIN PLUS

Encrypted 17-digit Vehicle ID programmed into VIMO. VIN PLUS comes withencrypted VIN, along with vehicle class, make, year, model, color, size(Lx W×H) and vehicle license number, and the 17-digit VIMO ID,ownership, address

SID

A 7-digit Session ID including a single-letter insert in the middle. Itis generated to VIMO by GMAN, based on 17-digit VIMO ID. Example:452J925

GID

Gate ID to be collected by MGX prior to video capture. GID is comprisedof SID+location code+date & time. Example: 452J925 GFT 041504 092533

CN

Control Number, 6-digit random numbers plus a single-letter prefix. CNis followed by 6-digit date. Example: J583906

AP

Approval Code for toll-paying transaction, 6-digit random numbers plus asingle-letter suffix. AP is followed by 6-digit date and 6-digit time.Example: 590392J

VD

Vehicle Dossier—a file of transaction details per vehicle.

TVD

Temporary VD (issued by GMAN, when User fails to hit SHOOT to generateVD in time)

QVD

Quasi VD is issued by GMAN, when a vehicle whose VIN PLUS has beenverified is captured by video cameras at MGX, either before or withoutcompleting the payment process.

NVD

A ‘special handling’ code issued for vehicles without carrying VIMO orcarrying defunct VIMO because no VD has been generated.

V/C

Video Capture of a vehicle; intended to examine eligibility of carpoolvehicles postmortem and to identify & help catch the NVD vehicles

VCN

Short for video capture number. Two types of VCN: SID-based VCN andTime-based VCN.

TBA

V/C required to be attached.

NTBA

No V/C required to be attached.

CV

Credit Voucher to be granted as a rebate or as a left-over change. CVand biweekly statements are essential tools for enabling differentialtoll collections.

Differential Toll

A non-progressive fixed amount of extra tolls is to be charged to allmotorists during specific hours of weekdays, or specific seasons orspecific periods or at specific locations to optimize traffic flow dailyor seasonally or by area, whereas commuters are given a rebate of theextra tolls later on a biweekly basis. This will encourage non-commutersto avoid driving on specific routes when Differential Toll System isenforced.

D/O

A non-progressive fixed amount of differential tolls charged foroversized (in length) vehicles for private use. D/O can be enforcedduring rush hours during weekdays.

TEV

Toll-Exempt Vehicle designated or authorized by local toll authority.Emergency vehicles and government vehicles are exempt from tolls.

MG, MP

MG is short for MetroGate, and MP for MetroPlaza. MetroGate sessions areOnGate and OffGate, while MP sessions are all the sessions on VIMOscreen, except for MG sessions.

OnGate

A 5-mile stretch leading up to MGX. Current tolls are to be collected inan NLOS wireless transaction in this 5-mile range.

OffGate

A 5-mile radius of GMAN, except for the 5-mile OnGate. All thevehicle-related financial transactions, except for current tolls, can beprocessed in this domain, especially last-minute payments.

NOMADIC Sessions

All BWA-enabled online sessions to be held on VIMO outside OnGate &OffGate domains.

Circadian Numbering [C₂₄]

A bandwidth-friendly way of generating quasirandom numbers in volumearound the clock by generating 7-digit alphanumeric numbers in threemajor formats: SID, CN and AP. The 24 English letters, excluding I andQ, come in an ordered sequence to represent 24 hours of a day in orderto give hourly-bounds for quasirandom number generation to head offcollisions of identical numbers. It enhances sorting out ofhour-specific traffic data and helps with authentication system forephemeral one-time use.

In the ordered sequence of 24 English characters excluding I and Q, eachcharacter represents each hour of a day in the alphabetical order,except for character ‘O’ that instead comes at the end of the sequence,right after ‘Z’.

Using this single character representation as a prefix, insert, orsuffix, the generation of 7-digit alphanumeric numbers useful for manyauthentication purposes can be made possible. Take a SID [543J243] forinstance. It shows this number was issued at 09:33 a.m.

1. DriveOn Pay™ as a WiMAX-compatible Menu-driven Dashtop Mobile PaymentPlatform Rationales: 1) A paradigm shift: With Drive-On Pay™, Usercarries a VIMO™ unit as a virtual payment terminal, as opposed to thecurrent practice of merchants carrying payment terminals at storefronts.In return, a proprietary menu is respectively offered wirelessly bymerchants or stores. A payment terminal at a storefront limits financialtransaction one at a time, whereas Drive-On Pay™ allows thousands at atime. 2) Metropolitan Area Network-enabled wireless paying platformconfigured for the combined use of the following: User-centric menu LCDtouchscreen the programmed short keys a bandwidth-saving protocol andtime-memory tradeoff (TMTO) advantages of minimizing Codec procedures.3) Theoretical payment processing capacity: at a rate of 4,400 vehicleson a 6-lane toll plaza in a fraction of a second, at an average vehiclespeed of 80 mph, within a 5-mile range. The above capacity is based onthe MG OnGate mode. 4) 3 DAYS (TD) and Prepaid Tolls (PP), inter alia,are crucial to this paying platform. To ensure a fail-safe operation,not only digital, electronic and mechanical perfection should beoptimized, but also the human fallibility needs to fully considered. 3DAYS (TD) is an electronic pledge to pay within 3 calendar days at asurcharge of, for example, 50%. The high rate of this surcharge won'tlikely lure users to have recourse to 3 DAYS. Prepaid Tolls (PP) are notlinked to any pre-setup account, like RFID-enabled electronic tollcollection systems, such as FasTrak and EZ-Pass. Users may feel free tobuy any dollar amount to fill the gap for the balance of PP or pay oneor two times or more than that. Local toll authorities may offer somediscount for the purchase of Prepaid Tolls in larger unit. 5) Paymentprocessing method: random and point to multipoint, non-serialprocessing. Non-linear processing will reduce unnecessary time wastageand improve efficiency of payment collection. 6) Creator of ‘JITe-commerce on the go’ featuring online ordering for JIT pickup or JITservice. JITeCGO is a new eCommerce domain to be implemented on adashtop mobile payment platform like Drive-On Pay™. The significant risein demand for bridging the gap between the virtual and real world bringabout some new devices and new applications. 7) New potential eCommercedomain for mobile advertising and commercials, different than on thefixed or mobile Internet. At present, cellular technology and GPStracking techniques are configured to enable mobile advertising andmarketing. Big media corporations are thriving on mobile websites, whilemobile carriers are cautious to make a sales pitch on GPS-trackingmobile advertising. 8) Security enforcer at public transportation hubs,like airports. Mass surveillance and passenger screening at airports andother transportation hubs are increasingly reliant on the RFID andbiometric technology, which is based on serial processing. 9) Optimizerof Remote Check-In featuring ticket-free, biometrics-free admissions.Motorists can buy ball game tickets at the wheel and return them for arefund. Besides, flight passengers can check in for boarding while inthe vehicles, thereby saving a long wait in the line for securitychecks. 10) Booth-free toll-collection maximizer and traffic flowoptimizer utilizing Differential Toll Collection System. Drive-On Pay™can surcharge all the motorists during commute hours and refund thesurcharge to commuters only, thereby coaxing non-commuters tovoluntarily avoid the commute hours. 11) Potential as the centerpiece ofITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems) enabling traffic dataarchiving, traffic data mining, analysis of motorists' behavioral shift,real-time traffic data feeds, target-specific and purpose-specificmulticasting of traffic warnings with friendly advice tailored to meetmotorist preferences. 12) Pre-formatted messages stored into short keysand buttons both offline and online are transmitted and received betweena BS and VIMO units. No need for such input interfaces as keyboard,mouse or stylus, but a finger touch is all you need. As an exception, apop-up keypad is added for the purpose of authenticating virtualtickets.
 2. VIMO™ Rationales: 1) Size: 4″ (L)×7″ (W)×½″ (D). Equippedwith Touchscreen of either LCD display or other advanced technology,with the two blinking foolproof buttons at bottom, outside the screen.Powered by vehicle battery, which is an optimal solution to the need oflong-life battery for mobile devices. The programmed short keys aredisplayed on the screen. 2) A great potential as an in-vehicleall-in-one device that is most likely to accommodate all the futuristicmobile gadgetry requirements thanks to the ‘always on’ battery. GPSnavigators, MP3 players, satellite radios, smart phones, mobileInternet, mobile TV and video games can be integrated into DriveOn Pay™in view of their integration hierarchy. 3) Relatively large screen(6″×3″) that meets not only the futuristic needs, like mobile TV, videogames, traffic data feeds in “triple play”, GPS navigation. Goodlegibility for the elderly and motorists with vision problems. 3.‘START’ &‘SHOOT’ buttons Rationales: The two buttons are to be placed onthe VIMO frame but as an alternative, they can be on the steering wheel(See FIG. 1000.1 & FIG. 1000.2) 1) ‘START’—Vehicle data are tagged intothis button offline and are propagated in encrypted data packetswirelessly, when the ‘START’ button is hit while blinking 2)‘SHOOT’—real-time data events are progressively saved into this buttononline, and the button, when hit while blinking, will merge/send thosedata as an integrated data packet to a BS to complete the payingtransaction. 3) Color-coded in ‘red’ and ‘green’ respectively, and‘blinking’ to indicate the right timing of hitting. 4) These two buttonsmay be mounted on the steering wheel, with voice tags for payment optionmenu selection.
 4. SID, CN, AP, GID, TVD, NVD, QVD, VD, V/C, VCN, CV,D/O, TBA, NTBA, TEV, PID, Ticket ID, CI, CO, TSBoo, TSBuff, MG, MP,OnGate, OffGate, GMAN, MGX, VLS, VIN PLUS Rationales: 1) All theseacronyms are vital and instrumental in implementation schemes of DriveOnPay™. 2) Without these acronyms, the DriveOn Pay algorithm can hardly beexplained. They are not just acronyms, but have specific functions. 5.Circadian Numbering™ [C₂₄] also called DEDID™ (Disposable EphemeralDigital ID) Rationales: 1) Hour-specific sorting out of traffic data ismade more effectively. The selected 24 English letters, excluding I andQ, are codified to represent each hour of a day. Take a SID number, e.g.“364K049”, for instance. You may recognize that this number was issuedat 10:19 a.m., if you understand the simple algorithm behind it. Atpresent, cryptography has no time factor in it so that brute forceattacks can decipher any ciphertext, given an eternity. To savebandwidth in mobile technology world, the 7-digit alphanumeric numbers,though they look fragile against birthday attacks, are given time limitsof 2 hours for use so as to frustrate any attack. Circadian Numbering™is based on a time-memory tradeoff (TMTO) advantage, giving a timefactor to digital ID or authentication that has so far dwelled on aspace domain. 2) Bandwidth-friendly 7-digit alphanumeric numbers thatcan show the exact time of issuance to the point of hour and minutes. Itmakes error checking and correction during transmission a lot easier. 3)To head off ‘collision’ of identical 7-digit numbers during the processof quasirandom number generation, ergodic sequence is used. 4) DEDIDwill help standardize the length of various alphanumeric numbers usedfor wireless transactions and will serve the purposes of archiving,tracking, confirmation and approval and even data mining. Inbandwidth-intensive environments, 12-digit or 16-digit numbers are awaste to be avoided. 5) Utilizing C₂₄ and SID, digital ID for one-dayone-time use may replace physical admission tickets, boarding passes,order numbers and other authentication needs. 6) Unlike other digitalID, it is hourly-based and has to be authenticated immediately by User,while online, and is featured with high-volume processing, as opposed toserial processing methods like biometrics authentication, RFID scanningand person-to-person ID screening. No need to do costly data updatesrequired for RFID and biometrics
 6. TBA & NTBA Rationales: 1)Determining whether video capture data is to be attached to VD isfundamental in saving bandwidth. 2) VD can be flagged with TBA xor NTBAby giving values like TBA=1 and NTBA=0
 7. V/C & VCN Rationales: V/C isessential to complete any toll-paying transaction. Without V/C, any paidtoll-collection process will be void. V/C transmission of every vehicleis not justifiable in view of time-memory tradeoff advantages. To savebandwidth, V/C is to be stored in the buffer memory of digital videocameras at MGX until GMAN asks for it. V/C with NTBA status will bedeleted in due course of the process, which may be customized based onlocal factors. Instead, VCN (Video Capture Number) will be sent to GMANand expedite to finalize the transaction before any V/C with TBA statusis asked for by GMAN.
 8. The 300-second time frame and 5-mile stretchconfigured for MG OnGate and OffGate Rationales: 1) In calculating aneffective range of BS, a 5-mile stretch and the time frame, hypotheticalassumptions were made on Cauchy behaviors of vehicle-to-vehicledistances (V2Vd) in traffic moving at an average speed of 80 mph. Givenan average vehicle speed of 80 mph, the V2Vd is theoretically set at anaverage of 6 meters, based on empirical data. 2) The average length ofvehicles was assumed to be 5 meters in a bid to seek the upper bound oftraffic volume.
 9. Payment Option Menu including 3 DAYS and PrepaidTolls with the following tenet. Rationales: 1) Six payment options arearrayed for the MG OnGate mode: Credit, Debit, 3 DAYS, Carpool, Prepaidand Others. For other modes, four options are available: Credit, Debit,3 DAYS and Others. 2) 3 DAYS: 3-day or n-day float {1≦n≦5} securedagainst vehicle registration and at a 50% surcharge. The heavy surchargeis to minimize the abusive use of 3 DAYS option. The 3 DAYS toll due canbe offset automatically by Prepaid Tolls, if the balance is enough. 3)Prepaid Tolls: not only used to pay tolls, but also circulated as e-cashfor DriveOn Pay™. It enables a low-cost scenario of differential tollsystems to be implemented by crediting the Prepaid Toll accounts forrefunding purposes, instead of a costlier way of crediting bank accountsor mailing refund checks to motorists. This Prepaid Toll creates a solidfund pool for local toll authority and may offset the 3 DAYS toll dueautomatically. 4) Basically, DriveOn Pay™ is a 3-touch operation on theMG OnGate mode, if User is all set. Voice tags can be enabled so as toskip finger-touch on the screen.
 10. Differential Toll System & PrepaidToll Account & biweekly email statement Rationales: 1) To optimizetraffic flow during specific hours of weekdays, specific seasons, andspecific periods, and by specific routes. 2) Collect an extra flat feeas a differential toll and refund it to eligible commuters in two weeksby crediting their Prepaid Toll accounts that are not linked to any bankor credit card account, as opposed to an RFID tags that requireautomatic debit from your bank or credit card account. 3) Biweeklystatement by email—commuters eligible for differential toll waivers getthis statement, not every motorist. Eligibility criteria are to be setby local toll authority. 4) D/O: Differential tolls for Oversizedvehicles for private use. This D/O is non-refundable in any case.Vehicle length buffers are to be set by local toll authority. 11.Vehicle Length Scanner Rationales: 1) To telemetrically measure up thelengths of vehicles running at full speeds of up to 80 mph by utilizinglane-wide vertical infrared beam curtains. 2) Comparison between theregistered vehicle lengths and the actually measured lengths. 3)Utilizing lane-wide vertical infrared beam curtains and speed readers.4) L=0.044694*T/100 (if V in miles) or L=0.027778V*T/100 (if V inkilometers) Vehicle lengths come in meters, not in yards. To avoidstrictness in vehicle lengths, an allowable length buffer (e.g. 1 meter)can be given.
 12. Ticket ID and Remote Check-In Rationales: 1) UtilizeSID to generate a Ticket ID that is a virtual ticket to replace aphysical ticket to save trees and save the ticket-collecting labor. 2)Authentication by entering DOB (Date of Birth) in 8-digit [mmddyyyy]format, which can survive even birthday attacks and brute force attacksin view of its one-time and ephemeral use. 3) Date of Birth should notbe identical to User's biological DOB, but can be replaced by any8-digit numbers that should not escape User's memory even at some hecticmoments. Portability of the growing list of digital authentication meanslike usernames and passwords is out of the question in wireless mobiletechnology.
 13. Customization of VIMO Rationales: Customization of VIMOis recommended for elderly motorists, and motorcyclists, and others whomay prefer customization. 1) Though efficiency and dexterity can begained through repeated use, customizing it into a two-touch operation,skipping the process of menu selection, might be a better choice. 2) Twopayment options, one primary and another secondary, are to be storedinto VIMO offline prior to use. 3) Customized VIMO may still display the‘CARPOOL’ payment option key during carpool hours making it athree-touch operation in that case.
 14. Trigger & Trigger blockerRationales: 1) The Trigger signals are an infinite loop that is designedto touch off automatic transmission of Answerback signals from VIMO inorder to send location-specific Welcome data to VIMO. Therefore, rightafter the Welcome screen is on, VIMO should be blocked from Triggers andthe Trigger blocker is synchronized with the OnGate session timerinitially set for 300 seconds. 2) Any extension caused by a minoraccident near a GMAN tollgate will synchronize Trigger blocker with theOnGate session timer
 15. Clock-In & Clock-Out Crossbar or Crossbeam orequivalent structure Rationales: Utilizing Infrared Beams to checkClock-In and Clock-Out of vehicles 1) MP sessions require Clock-In andClock-Out to seek the accuracy of length of service hours. In an MPAirport session, a motorist has to prepay for the first hour, forexample, and later pay extra for every quarter of an hour exceeding thefirst one hour. In this case, it is fair that the first hour startscounting only after the vehicle has passed under the Clock-In crossbar,while extra charges plus valet service fee, if any, will be paid at themoment of passing under the Clock-Out crossbar. 2) In MP Public Parkingsession, motorists may clock into a parking garage either on the spot orafter PID has been assigned to them through Remote Check-In. The momentPID is assigned to a motorist, the parking time starts ticking away inmost cases, except when there has been an abnormal delay caused by agridlock or accident on the way to the parking garage. Such an abnormaldelay might be deducted from the parking time.
 16. 11 flowcharts & 10pseudocodes for 8 major implementation schemes Rationales: 1) The 11flowcharts and 10 pseudocodes constitute the entire algorithm forDriveOn Pay™. 2) The 128 drawings plus 5 select displays of VIMO™ 17.Message Format Rationales: Different than Text Messaging (SMS) on mobilephone and Internet chatting, only the formatted messages can be sent andreceived between a BS and VIMO. As an exception to the rule, a briefentry of short numbers and characters can be made on the VIMO keypadthat pops up, when necessary. 1) As a space-time tradeoff, Codec andencryption are limited to critical data only, while abbreviatedplaintexts are used. 2) Prototype of message format: [BOM]—Beginning ofMessage indicating sender, receiver & date & time [HEADER]—Title ofMessage+encrypted hash value [BODY]—Full Content of Message [EOM]—End ofMessage
 18. TriageCasting™ Rationales: 1) It is analogous tomulticasting, but differs in that node to node connections are inverselyaligned in travel direction of vehicles. Each VIMO becomes a node inthis case. Its purpose is to balance the road occupancy status in theevent of accidents or natural disasters, triaging the traffic overloadson the roads. 2) Each motorist's travel log is kept and maintained inVIMO™ at his/her discretion, in order to appease privacy concerns. 3) Itwill be a solid basis for simulating the intelligent behaviors of ITS(Intelligent Transportation Systems). This is also geared to addressinganomalies or panicky motorist responses arising out of broadcasting tomotorists in general some real-time target-specific traffic data feedsthat should reach the targeted traffic only. 4) By targeting or groupingmotorists for specific purposes, based on their travel patterns,including destinations, travel frequency, travel time, travel hours,average speed, target-specific traffic data are to be TriageCast tothose motorists targeted in Group {A,B,C, . . . ,}.
 19. Keypad, Fill-InBox and Diamond Key Rationales: 1) To enter variable integers, like Dateof Birth, third party mobile phone numbers, currency, the keypad isaccompanied by the Fill-In Box that varies depending on the situation.2) A diamond key for releasing my stored mobile phone number to a BS′for one-time use only so as to receive Ticket ID information. Thediamond key should be hit only after DOB entry is completed. Forauthentication purposes, the entered DOB is not shown in the Ticket IDinformation received on a mobile number
 20. Pay per frame hierarchy inMP DAS sessions Rationales: The untrodden path of determining ad ratesfor on-screen commercials in the domain of JIT e-Commerce on the Go,which is different from Internet e-Commerce. The differential ad ratesfor the on-screen commercials are to be determined by the followingcriteria: Pay per frame hierarchy: A set of banners shown on the VIMOscreen (e.g. 7 banners on the screen) is called a frame. These banners,when pressed and held, will lead to related on-screen menu,respectively. If a total of 35 banners are to be displayed by any BS,then a total of 5 frames will rotate one after another at a pre-setinterval. In other words, which frame comes first after EVENTS key ishit, and which comes second, and so on. The rotating order of the framesas above-mentioned will determine the ad rates. Ergonomic considerationsare given so as to avoid a tiled array of more than 7 icons on atouchscreen. For human eyes, a maximum of 7 items can be randomlyscanned and recognized fast at a glance. In this case, rectangularshapes are avoided and irregular shapes are recommended to maximize theeffect of fast-scanning at a glance, which is a must for a motoristbehind the wheel. Besides, the icons or banners of irregular shapes arenot supposed to keep the same positions, but are placed in a rotatingsequence. Pay per replacement hierarchy: banner or frame If a banner ispressed, then it will go off the screen. If a banner is zapped off thescreen, then there comes a replacement banner popping up from anotherframe. Meantime, if you want to flip the entire frame to see anotherframe, you can press ‘FLIP’ key. When a frame is flipped by User, thereplacement frame does not come in the regular rotating order, butfollows the exceptional rotating order. The differential rates areapplicable, depending on whether to replace 1) banner 2) frame. Thereare more variations that are to be further elaborated separately. 21.Flight Information Rationales: 1) Departing flight passengers' ticketinformation plus personal profiles are stored in VIMO and aretransmitted to a BS, when the “Flight Info” key is hit. 2) It is animportant ingredient to Remote Check-In for boarding at airports, andshortening the lengthy and tedious security check procedures.
 22. GiftCoupon Arsenal in MP DAS Rationales: 1) Not only gift coupons but alsogift certificates, discount coupons, are stored in “Gift Coupon Arsenal”for you, and they will show up for immediate use, whenever you happen tobe within the effective range of the BS. You are free from clippingcoupons to carry them in your wallet. There is no need to download andprint gift certificates from a website. Or else you will keep some bulkycertificates in your wallet, looking for a chance to use it. 2) GiftCoupon Arsenals will guarantee faster turnaround of the commercialcome-ons like this.
 23. JITeCGO—JIT e-Commerce on the Go Rationales: 1)Each session needs a TID for one-time use only. 2) JIT pickup or JITservice guaranteed 3) PP as e-cash 4) Non-Internet shopping domain 5)Brief commercials targeted at passing-by motorists 6) Need to prepay ormake a deposit 7) It is a location-based wireless shopping domain on themove 8) Access to any commercial is strictly subject to your consent.24. AutoCite— Rationales: 1) Unmanned citation of parking violations 2)Labor-saving 3) Paperless citation 4) Send email alert to User regardingthe citation.
 25. Configuration of START & SHOOT BUTTONS on SteeringWheel for voice tags 1) Speech Technology may either complementtechnological limitations of Touchscreen or replace Touchscreen. 2)Ergonomic design consideration for heedless motorists. 3) See FIG.1000.2